Mrs. Worrall Character Analysis in Anita and Me

Meena’s family’s direct neighbor is kind, generous, and shows a strong interest in Meena’s happiness. Meena is soon impressed by Mrs. Worrall’s strength and endurance, as the older woman takes care of a severely sick husband without the help of any of her children, who have not come to visit her in years—a fact that makes Mrs. Worrall emblematic of the dysfunctional English families that Meena’s mother criticizes. Mrs. Worrall is the only villager who becomes close enough to Meena’s family to be invited to their farewell party when they prepare to leave Tollington.

Mrs. Worrall Quotes in Anita and Me

The Anita and Me quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Worrall or refer to Mrs. Worrall. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Family Discipline and Guidance Theme Icon

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Oberon Books edition of Anita and Me published in 1996.

‘I will never understand this about the English, all this puffing up about being civilised with their cucumber sandwiches and cradle of democracy big talk, and then they turn round and kick their elders in the backside, all this It’s My Life, I Want My Space stupidness, You Can’t Tell Me What To Do cheekiness, I Have To Go To Bingo selfishness and You Kids Eat Crisps Instead Of Hot Food nonsense. What is this My Life business, anyway? We all have obligations, no one is born on their own, are they?’

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 58-59

Explanation and Analysis:

Mrs. Worrall Character Timeline in Anita and Me

The timeline below shows where the character Mrs. Worrall appears in Anita and Me. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...outdoor toilet) that they use as storage, though they have no bikes. Mama yells to Mrs. Worrall , their kindly neighbor who shows much interest in Meena, that she has found what... (full context)

Mama walks to Mrs. Worrall , giving her an old vase. Meena says that she is hungry but refuses the... (full context)

After mama walks back into the house, Mrs. Worrall asks Meena if she would like to help her out with cooking. Meena has seen... (full context)

Mrs. Worrall tells Meena that she is making jam tarts, which her husband, Mr. Worrall, loves. Meena... (full context)

As Meena gets ready to leave, she realizes that Mrs. Worrall is courageous to take care of such a sick husband. She concludes that, unlike what... (full context)

...She then sees her mother on a stretcher, in pain. The neighbors are there, and Mrs. Worrall offers to do a rotation to make sure that Meena and her father eat. Meena... (full context)

...for her, they run into Deirdre and ask her if she has seen her, but Mrs. Worrall then yells to them that Nanima is with her. Mama feels relieved and is about... (full context)

Meena and her mother then go to Mrs. Worrall ’s house, where they are bewildered to discover Nanima speaking in rapid Punjabi with Mr.... (full context)

From Tollington, the Kumars invite only Mrs. Worrall to their farewell party. Auntie Shaila gives them a metal “OM” to hang on their... (full context)